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The 2016 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2016 playoffs of theNational Basketball Association (NBA) and the conclusion of the 2015–16 season. The Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers defeated theWestern Conference champion Golden State Warriors 4–3 in a rematch of the2015 NBA Finals, which Golden State won. It was the 14th rematch of the previous NBA Finals in history, and the first Finals since 2008 in which the number one seed in each conference met. It was the second straight rematch in back-to-back years, as the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs played each other in 2013 and 2014.

Golden State, which owned home-court advantage, jumped to a 2–0 lead in the series while recording the largest combined margin of victory (48) through two games in NBA Finals history. Cleveland returned home and responded with a 120–90 win in Game 3, but the Warriors won Game 4 to take a commanding lead. However, the Cavaliers won the next three games to become the first team in Finals history to successfully overcome a 3–1 deficit. It also marked the first time since 1978 that Game 7 was won by the road team. The win by the Cavaliers was the first major professional sports championship won by a team based in Cleveland since 1964, and the first-ever championship won by the Cavaliers franchise.

For the first time since 2004, a new scheduling format was instituted for the Finals. In previous years, the Finals was played in a Thursday–Sunday–Tuesday scheme. However, the league changed its scheduling to ensure an extra day off for both teams, which have to travel from one city to another during the duration of the series. This, along with the designated travel day, took place after Games 2, 4, 5, and 6.